Christmas Old English style with Dickens on the Strand

The Strand area in Galveston almost feels like a time jump. When you go and walk around the old buildings and throw back businesses it can feel like time stood still. This is especially true during their celebration of everything Old English, Dickens on the Strand. The annual festival is a street celebration taking you straight back to Victorian London with parades, street entertainers, costumes and unforgettable food. For me the festival feels not just like a time hop to the Victorian past, but to my own childhood were I would come and enjoy the parades and fun times in Galveston with my mom.

Now as a mom myself Dickens on the Strand is a great way to build memories with your kids because like most memories it mixes watching and doing in a wonderful balance. Even more importantly it gets the conversation and the imagination rolling on what living in that era actually felt like. From woman’s suffrage to children’s games, you can open the world of possibilities for your children in a quick drive to someplace new by showing them what they have and how they live is not the only way it could be done. Plus you can do so in a way that is fun to both you and the kiddos.

Like other festivals I love the opportunities that are presented to join in and get in on the festivities and even hop in to walk in the parade when you come in costume. If all that is not for you, sitting back and enjoying is still a great view with fire breathers and carolers guiding your way through the streets of the festival. The festival’s locations gives you a bit of a two for one as you can explore both vendor booths as well as the historic strand area. Favorites like La King’s candy mix old and new and are staples of the time hop you take on the Strand. Even the old time photo booths sprinkled on the street give rise to getting in the mood. Of course I cannot resist this time of dress up. Between the photos, shows, parade, bed races and tons and tons of street food the leap over to the Dickens on the Strand is a quick family outing worth every moment.